Traffic
by heatlightning
Summary: After graduating Hollywood Arts, Beck and Jade find themselves on opposite sides of the country. Unable to keep their relationship going, they part ways with the hope of reuniting. But plans change and promises are forgotten as they get swept up in the new worlds they've created. That is, until those worlds unravel and they are brought back to each other's lives. Bade.
1. Traffic

"This isn't working," Jade whispered, her eyes fixated on the ceiling. She lay on her bed, fiddling with the hem of her shirt with one hand and holding the phone to her ear with the other. The sounds of New York City traffic periodically echoed through the open window, but she didn't mind. She appreciated the reminder that dysfunction wasn't specific to her life.

On the other end of the line, she heard Beck exhale and then came a rattly, "I know."

A part of her was disappointed. A part of her wanted him to fight back, to resist, to insist that everything was going to be okay. Another part of her was relieved that it wasn't just her - that he felt it too. At least one thing hadn't changed: Beck was always honest with her.

So she asked, "Why isn't this working?" The words came out a little louder and more desperate than she'd hoped. She wouldn't admit it, but the silence that followed dragged on for longer than her comfort would extend.

"I don't know," he slowly said.

She laughed. It was probably inappropriate, but then, she often was. And before long, he was laughing too, because how ridiculous was this? They spent the better part of four years intertwined in every way imaginable only to end up on opposite sides of the country, unable to keep it together yet unable to identify exactly why they were falling apart.

The laughter stopped and all Jade heard was the sound of his shallow breathing. For a while, she just listened. She closed her eyes and could almost imagine that Beck was there beside her, holding her hand, drawing circles on her palm.

"I love you," Jade finally said. Suddenly it didn't seem so important who said it first.

"I love you, too," he answered.

Jade swallowed hard. "I don't want to break up," she assured him.

"Me neither."

"But - "

" - This isn't working," Beck finished. Normally Jade would have furrowed her brow and yelled at him for interrupting her, but they both knew where this was going. This time, Jade didn't want to fight.

"Maybe we just need some... time. To be ourselves," she suggested. Even as she said it, she knew it made no sense. He was the only person she knew how to be herself with. He was the only person who wanted her to be.

"Maybe when we're in one place, it will be different. Like it was. Not so empty," he followed, hopeful and sincere. But it would never be like it was - it couldn't - because this was now, and that was then. And if he was empty with her, how could he ever be whole without her?

"I'll be back in LA for Christmas," she reminded him.

"I love you," he reminded her.

She murmured, "I know."

The quiet crept over them once more and Jade allowed herself to revel in it. After all, she wasn't sure when the next time they sat in silence together would be.

Then came his voice, offering, "I guess.. I'll see you in December."

"I'll see you in December," she affirmed and tried to smile.

"I'm sorry," Beck said hurriedly, with an audible gulp that Jade knew meant the stoic, level-headed boy she'd grown so accustomed to was finally starting to crack.

So she whispered, "I love you, too," and hung up the phone.


	2. Whirlwind

_**AN:**__ Thanks for the responses to the story so far! This is pretty short, I know, but it felt necessary to leave this bit of exposition as a stand-alone chapter to set the stage for what's to come. I realize this fic is super depressing at the moment but I promise things will begin to change. Thanks for reading!_

* * *

Jade never made it home for the holidays. Beck heard from Cat that she had accepted an internship with a theater in the city and decided to stay. At first, he felt betrayed and broken, but the rational side of him knew that they hadn't spoken - not really - in months. They used to exchange a few texts here and there, joke around, ask how the other was doing. But as time went on there became less to joke about, less to ask about, less to say. Eventually became impossible to ignore the truth. They weren't together anymore. They weren't really even friends. Why would she come back for him? Why would he expect her to?

Still, innocent little Cat, often wiser than she seemed, had sensed his disappointment over the news. She had put a hand on his shoulder and sweetly insisted, "Nothing is forever, Beck." He didn't know whether she meant Jade's internship or their relationship. He didn't ask.

Every once in a while Jade would see a tuft of dark hair in a crowd and think for a moment it might be him. It never was.

Every once in a while he'd pick up the phone and hope it was her name flashing on his screen. It never was.

Boys had come and boys had gone - eventually they all tired of dealing with her. Somewhere along the way she met Tyler, and they fell into a relationship. He was good-looking and sweet and smart, and he didn't call her out when she was out of line or try to tone her down. He was easy to be with: he didn't fight back. But mostly, she thinks, he was there.

Just as Tori was there for Beck. She always had been, really, but the whirlwind that was Jade had always swept him off his feet, obstructing her from view. Now Jade was gone - the skies had cleared - and it all seemed to make sense. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. Maybe with Tori he could finally settle down. Maybe he was just settling.


	3. Ties

**AN: Hey! Thanks again to the response to the story so far. I've decided to change the trajectory a little bit. I had originally intended for this to be all wrapped up in like 4 chapters or so, but as I was planning out the rest of the story I had a sudden influx of ideas and have decided to extend it to incorporate those. It will probably be around 15 chapters when all is said and done, so we've still got a ways to go. I just wanted to make note of that changes so you know what to expect :) Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"Babe, babe, wake up."

Jade felt the weight of a hand on her shoulder and groggily opened her eyes. There was Tyler lying beside her, gently shaking her back and forth. He kept repeating, "Your alarm's been going off for 15 minutes."

Her eyes focused on the clock on the bedside table. She groaned. "And you just _now_ decided to tell me? If my alarm went off 15 minutes ago, wouldn't you maybe think that I needed to wake up... _15 minutes ago_?" she snapped, surprisingly coherent for a girl who just emerged from eight hours of sleep.

Tyler rolled on his side to face her. "You look pretty when you sleep. I didn't want to disturb you," he smiled, seemingly immune to the harshness of her voice.

Jade raised her eyebrow. "I don't look pretty when I'm awake?" she spit back. Taking a compliment and twisting it into an insult was standard procedure for Jade. Although the attacks had initially annoyed Tyler, over time he had come to realize that when she lashed out it didn't mean she wanted to fight - all she really wanted was reassurance. So he learned how to give it to her.

"You're always beautiful. Different kinds of beautiful. I like to take them in anytime I have the chance," Tyler explained, brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes. He tucked it carefully behind her ears.

"Fine," she murmured. The response was acceptable, so she pressed a soft kiss against his lips.

Tyler pulled away with a grin and laid his head back down on the pillow. "What time do you have to be at the theater?" he asked.

Jade sighed, "8. Box office opens at 9." She was thankful for the internship, but the early wake-up calls and monotonous hours spent in an entirely too small room were burning her out at a rapid pace. She missed the days when getting up before noon meant singing, dancing, and acting with her friends, not folding programs, making copies, and counting ticket stubs with a bunch of people she barely tolerated.

"You should get ready then," he told her.

Jade shot him irritated glance. "I know what I need to do!" she quipped.

Tyler just chuckled, "I'll go make your coffee." He slid out of bed and picked up a shirt off the floor. She watched as he pulled it over his moppy blonde hair, noting how good he looked in the morning. He didn't have class until noon, but any time he stayed over he would get up whenever she did so he could spend time with her before she had to leave.

Now feeling uncharacteristically guilty for her outburst and grateful for his presence, Jade called out, "Thanks, babe."

His smile grew wide. "Anything for you," he promised. She should have known he would ruin the moment with a response so extremely sappy and cliché.

As he shuffled to the kitchen, Jade threw the covers off herself and made her way to the bathroom.

"Hey," Tyler called, "dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, sure," she replied, turning on the faucet, "I get off at 5." She started brushing her teeth.

"Alright. Pick a place and let me know later today. I'll call in for reservations," he said.

"Got it!" she answered, mouth still full of toothpaste. After she finished washing up, Tyler met her in the doorway with a fresh cup of coffee that she took eagerly from his hands.

He followed Jade back to her bedroom. "Oh, by the way, Cat called me last night trying to get a hold of you," he told her. "Are you not taking her calls or something?"

"Oh, no, she must have called when my phone was dead yesterday. What did she say?" she asked, taking a sip of coffee before setting the cup down on the top of her dresser. Jade stripped off her night-clothes and stepped into a new pair of underwear. She rummaged through the drawer for a bra and slipped it over her shoulders. Without missing a beat, Tyler stepped toward her and fastened the clasp.

"Just that she tried to call you seven times and you didn't answer and she had to tell you something," he said, "Sounded excited about whatever it was."

Jade rolled her eyes. "It's Cat. She always sounds excited," she noted. She found a black dress in the back of her closet and took it off the hanger.

"So I've heard," he teased. He watched as she pulled the dress over her head. "Well, call her back," he suggested.

"I'll call her when I want to call her," Jade deadpanned. She turned her back to him and lifted her hair.

As he zipped her up, he prompted, "You're gonna call her today, right?"

Letting go of her hair, she shot him a look over her shoulder. "Yes. Because _I want _to call her today," she said pointedly.

Tyler smirked. "Good," he said, and sat down on the bed.

He observed silently as Jade finished getting ready - picking out her shoes, putting on her makeup, fashioning her hair into something halfway acceptable. Strangely, he found himself slightly disappointed when Jade finally grabbed her purse off the bedside table and came over to him. Although routine and mundane, he liked spending that time with her, just being in her presence.

"I'll see you tonight," she said quickly and planted a kiss on his forehead. Tyler trailed behind as she made her way to the front of the apartment.

"Don't forget about dinner!" he reminded her.

Jade grabbed her keys as she walked past the kitchen counter, muttering, "I'm not stupid," under her breath.

Ignoring her comment, Tyler took a few extra steps to get to the door before she did. "Have a good day," he offered brightly. Jade coughed.

"Doubtful," she said, but threw on a fake smile for good measure. Tyler opened the door for her and leaned in for a kiss.

"Love you," Jade murmured into his lips.

He pulled away, smiling. "Love you, too," he said. And then she was gone.

* * *

"Hey Jadey."

Jade was taken aback by how much the airy, high-pitched sound of Cat's voice comforted her. She was on her lunch break, which meant sitting outside alone behind the theater eating the same salad she'd eaten for the past three weeks, so she figured it was as good a time as any to call Cat.

Setting her fork down, Jade grabbed the phone, currently propped between her head and shoulder, and held it to her ear. "Hey Cat, what's up?" she greeted.

Cat immediately began rambling, "Well, Robbie got a job at the costume shop and he let's me go in and try on anything I want! I Oh, and Andre's been working on some new songs with Tori and they said I could sing back-up on one of them which is perfect because you know how much I love to sing. And you know how my brother -"

"Whoa there, baby girl. Not all at once," Jade said with a coarse laugh.

"Sorry. We just haven't talked in so long. I've missed you," Cat cooed coyly. Jade felt her stomach twist a bit as she realized she couldn't even remember the last time they had spoken. Of her friends in LA, Cat was the only one she kept in touch with at all at this point. Apparently, she hadn't been doing such a great job.

"I know, I'm sorry," she explained, "I've just been really busy with this internship and school and everything." It wasn't entirely a lie - she really had been busy. But for the most part, the reason she didn't call was because she didn't want the reminder of her old life making it harder to appreciate where she was now.

"Well, that's okay. We can talk about everything Friday!" Cat squealed.

"Friday?" Jade questioned flatly, figuring Cat was just being her usual nonsensical - albeit endearing - self. "Why can't we just talk about it now, Cat, we're already on the phone..." she suggested as she took another bite of her salad.

"Oh, right! I forgot!" Cat laughed. "That's why I called. I'm coming to visit!"

A tomato rolled off Jade's fork as she blurted out a surprised, "Oh, wow." She scrambled but failed to save the fruit before it hit the pavement. "What's bringing you to New York?" she asked. She tried not to sound too eager, but a rush of excitement flushed through her at the thought of seeing Cat again.

"We're taking a trip! We're gonna see a few shows and go to Time Square and Central Park and the Statue of Liberty and ride on the subway and do all the fun stuff you see in the movies," Cat detailed.

"Who is we?" Jade questioned cautiously, inwardly praying that Cat's weird brother wouldn't be joining her.

"You know, me and Robbie and André and Beck and Tori. We," Cat answered, as if it were obvious.

Jade supposed it should have been. After all, a few years ago her name would have been a part of that list. But somehow, hearing that the five of them were still together, still a unit, sent an unwelcome pang of envy coursing through her. Why had she been forced to move on and grow up and start living her own life while they had the luxury of existing in some weird time warp where nothing ever changed?

"Well, that should be fun," Jade said, a mix of resentment and delight now rumbling somewhere beneath her rib-cage. "Maybe we can meet up while you guys are here and get lunch or something," she proposed. It would be nice to everyone again, she thought. Just like old times.

Cat was quiet and Jade had the sneaking suspicion she was nodding on the other side of the line, forgetting that Jade couldn't actually see her.

"You there, Cat?" she finally probed.

"I'm here! You're coming to the party on Saturday right?" Cat inquired hopefully.

When Jade didn't answer, Cat continued, "Beck's birthday party."

_Oh._

"That's what the trip is for! He's turning -"

"21. I know," Jade answered. Of course she knew. After all the time they spent together, a birthday wasn't the sort of thing you could easily forget. But that his birthday was coming up hadn't crossed her mind until now. 21 meant it had been over two years since she and Beck broke up, which meant it had been over two years since she'd seen any of the old Hollywood Arts gang. There was no way it could be _just like old times. _When she considered how different her own life was, it was absurd to think they hadn't changed too in the past few years._ S_he wasn't sure she even knew them anymore.

"I don't think I was invited," she reasoned, attempting to blow off the suggestion. Her new found waves of doubt crippled her former excitement, bringing her close to running from the situation all together.

But Cat insisted, giggling, "Of course you are, silly, I just invited you."

Jade growled to herself. "Yeah, but Cat, it's kind of short notice, and it's not really your party to invite..." she started, then Cat interrupted, shouting, "Ah! Pizza's here! I'll text you all the details later!"

Before she even had time to respond, Cat had hung up the phone, leaving Jade alone with her salad and the knowledge of a reunion she wasn't at all prepared for.


	4. Windows

**AN: Thanks so much to everyone who is reading! The reviews really keep me motivated to write, so I appreciate that very much! I will be gone on vacation this next week and I'm not sure if I will have time to write anything, so I wanted to make sure I got something up before I left so you wouldn't hate me. As always, I hope you and enjoy and please let me know what you think! **

* * *

"Man, I really don't get chick flicks," André declared. He was sandwiched between Beck and Tori, hanging all over each other, and Cat and Robbie, holding hands but otherwise discreet, on the couch in the Vega's living room. The five of them had spent the last few hours there watching a movie.

"Yeah, me neither," Robbie agreed, attempting to disguise the tear he was wiping away as an itch. The credits rolled across the screen and as if on cue everyone began to stretch and stir. Untangling herself briefly from Beck, Tori reached for the remote to turn the TV off.

"Hey Tori, is there any of that Chinese left in the fridge?" Beck asked, one arm still draped around his girlfriend.

"Yeah, I think there's some sesame chicken," she replied.

Beck looked around. "Anyone else hungry?"

Cat and Tori both shook their heads.

"Nah man, I'm good," André answered.

Robbie squinted unhappily. "My doctor said I need to watch my sodium intake," he remarked.

"Alright. Well, I'm gonna go heat some up," Beck said. He patted Tori's legs gently and she swung them off his lap to let him up.

As he walked off to the kitchen, Tori turned to the others. "Can you believe that less than 48 hours from now we'll be in New York City?" she asked, her voice heavy with enthusiasm.

"The Big Apple," sighed André. He'd only ever been once, for a school trip in 8th grade, and he didn't get to do much so he was excited to go back and really explore the city.

Robbie grinned, "I can't wait to see what kind of soaps the hotel carries."

"Oh!" Cat gasped. She let go of Robbie's hand and grabbed her phone off the coffee table.

"What's the name of the hotel are we staying at?" she questioned, her gaze directed at Tori. The trip was truly Tori's brainchild. They had been reluctant to let her plan anything after the Yerba disaster a few years back, but being that it was a present for Beck, they decided to let her have another chance. So far, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

"The Courtyard Marriott. On Times Square," Tori informed her proudly. Cat began frantically typing.

"I hear it's got free HBO," Robbie chimed in.

Cat looked up from her phone and asked, "What time are we having Beck's party?"

"Free HBO?" André repeated, drowning out Cat's question. He rubbed his hands together. "I can get with that," he laughed.

Robbie continued, "Yeah, I was looking up all the amenities on my PearPad and it say's it's got -"

Frustrated, Cat jumped up from her seat. "_What time_ is the party?" she insisted.

Robbie, André, and Tori shared perplexed glances.

"We have the room from eight to midnight," Tori said. She had reserved a conference room in the hotel, organized for a stage and lighting set up, and hired catering and a DJ for the night. Maybe it was a bit over the top, but Tori was never one for subtlety. Besides, if they were going to fly all the way across the country, they might as well make the most of it. Beck was only going to turn 21 once and she wanted it to be a night to remember.

Robbie reached up and stroked Cat's arm. "Cat, we're all going together. You won't miss it," he said sweetly, trying to pacify her.

"I know that," she stated, "but I told her I would text her all the details." She still sounded a little upset.

"We already told your Nona everything. You don't have to worry about it," Andre reassured her.

"Not my Nona," Cat said incredulously, "Jade." The surprise on the other's faces didn't register with her, and she reverted her energy back to her phone, slowly mumbling, "from... 8... to... midnight," as she tapped on the screen.

All at once, they seemed to process her revelation.

"You mean you invited Jade?" Robbie questioned.

"I forgot she still lived out there," Tori stated blankly.

"Man, it's been forever," André mused. The summer before college, they had seen Jade almost every day. Sensing that they were coming upon the end of an era, they had all taken care to spend as much time together as they could. But when the summer ended, everyone's lives pulled them in different directions. Jade accepted a scholarship from Tisch, André started interning at a recording studio, Tori, Robbie, and Cat enrolled at UCLA, and Beck landed a supporting role in a TV series and took a break from school to film. For the five that didn't venture far from Hollywood, it was easy to keep in touch and stay connected. But after Beck and Jade broke up, her strongest link to the group was broken, and none of them heard from her much.

As the others nodded in agreement, Beck walked back into the living room. "Been forever since what?" he followed, leftovers in hand.

"Since we've seen Jade," Tori clarified. She scooted over to make room for him.

Beck shrugged, "Oh, yeah. It has," and reclaimed his place on the couch. The last time he saw Jade was through the window of a cab. He had surprised her one weekend he wasn't working by flying to New York; it was the first and last time he visited. When it was time for him to leave and he was closing the taxi door, she had smiled and told him she would see him soon. He wished he had left it at that and not looked back as the cab pulled away, because the image of Jade, alone on the sidewalk in a flood of tears had been etched in his memory ever since. He didn't like to think about it.

"Well, forever is about to be over!" Cat exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Beck wondered casually, brow furrowed as he inspected the chicken he was about to ingest.

Cat snuggled closer into Robbie's side. "Your birthday, silly," she explained.

With a dawn of realization, Beck put his fork down and turned to Cat. "Jade's gonna be there?"

* * *

"So I talked to Cat today," Jade spit out as Tyler the started the car. They had just finished dinner at her favorite Italian restaurant and were now on the way back to her apartment.

"Yeah? Did you get a chance to catch up?" he asked. If there was one thing she loved _and_ hated about Tyler, it was that he always took an interest in whatever she said. Most people would only pretend to be nice, at least some of the time anyway, but he always seemed to genuinely care. It scared her. She wasn't sure even she cared that much about what she had to say.

"Sort of," said Jade. "She's coming to New York."

Tyler whipped his head to look at her quickly, smiling wide. "That's awesome! When?" he asked.

"Friday," she answered, sucking on her teeth. Tyler raised his eyebrows but focused his attention back on the road.

"As in the day after tomorrow?" he reiterated, taken slightly off guard. "Kinda short notice to tell someone you're coming to see them," he pointed out.

"Well, she's not exactly coming to see me," Jade defended awkwardly. She knew Tyler didn't mean anything by it, but people criticizing Cat struck some weird protective nerve in her - unless she was the one doing the criticizing, anyway.

Tyler, however, didn't pick up on the edge in her voice, and instead kept inquiring, "Oh, family vacation?"

"They're ... taking a trip for Beck's birthday," Jade told him. Best to just bite the bullet, right? She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and folded down the mirror, attempting to give herself something to do by examining her reflection.

"Sounds like fun," he said instinctively. "So who's coming? Beck and Cat?"

Jade added on, "And André, and Robbie. And Tori." For a split second she wished it _was_ just Beck and Cat. That was a little less to digest, a little less to have to handle. But then she remembered how potentially awkward a night alone with the only two of them could be and was instantly relieved that it wouldn't be the case.

"That's like entire group, then, right?" He said, mentally trying to calculate if he had left anyone out. He'd never met any of her old friends, but she'd told him enough about them to make him feel as if he had. Hearing her stories, he'd always been a little jealous of how much fun they had and trouble they got into in their school days. His life seemed boring in comparison.

"Yep. That's them," she confirmed. There were other people in LA and at Hollywood Arts they used to cross paths with regularly - Trina, Sinjin, Cat's old roommate Sam - but none of them were ever able to break down the wall around the six of them and make a place for themselves. Once upon a time, it had only been the five of them, but then Tori came around and somehow managed to sneak her way in. Jade still wasn't sure how that happened, but she'd come to terms with it. Sort of.

"Like a mini high school reunion," Tyler joked. Jade closed the mirror and stared instead at him. He looked absolutely delighted to hear they were coming, and they weren't even his friends. They were _her_ friends. At least, they used to be. So why couldn't she be as excited as he was? Why was this making her so nervous?

"When are you guys gonna get together?" he asked.

"I don't know yet," she answered honestly. She was still toying with the idea of faking sick and just asking Cat - and only Cat - to get lunch with her another day.

Tyler nodded. "Invite them over! I'll make dinner and we can watch a movie or something. I'd love to get to know them," he told her. There he went with the interest and the caring again. If he was going to be that sweet about it, she knew she would have to give him the whole story or else risk feeling guilty for the next week. And she hated feeling guilty. It weakened her resolve.

Exhaling, Jade began, "Beck's having a birthday thing, apparently, and Cat invited us, but I..."

Just then, her phone vibrated. Her eyes darted to the now glowing screen on her lap.

_**"Beck  
**__Hope this is still your number. Heard you were coming to the party. Looking forward to it."_

As she read the words, she could swear her stomach suddenly grew legs and was threatening to jump out of her throat. His name was just about the last thing she had expected to see - they hadn't spoken since Christmas over a year ago, and even that was just a brief exchange of well-wishes for the holiday. This was so out of the blue she could barely process it. Beck thought she was coming?

"But what?" Tyler prompted, eyes still on the road, causing Jade to snap out of her shock and realize she had left him hanging mid-sentence.

With barely a second thought, she lied, "But... I wanted to check with you before I said yes."

Tyler seemed pleased. "Hell yeah!" he replied, triggering his turn signal. "You know I love parties," he added. As soon as he was back to watching the road, Jade picked up her phone and bit her lip, her mind and heart racing. Finally, she clicked "reply."

_"Still me. Can't wait to see everyone," _she typed. Jade closed her eyes and hit send.


	5. Elephants

**AN: Sorry for the wait. As I mentioned in my previous author's note, I was on vacation so I didn't have much time to write. Thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, and favorited the story! All of your responses meet the world to me, and I definitely take them all into consideration when I'm writing, so please keep them coming! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Let me know what you think!**

**Also, if you want to follow me on Tumblr... I'm lostinthegame . tumblr . com :) That might be an easier way to communicate with me more directly.**

* * *

Tyler gave Jade's hand a squeeze as she pushed open the door. The room was dim except for the light reflecting off several disco balls hanging from the ceiling. Straight ahead was a rather spacious stage with a DJ stationed beside it. There were more people here than she expected - close to thirty - and none she immediately recognized. Maybe they had opened the event to other hotel guests. As the light from the hall beamed through the doorway, an especially small silhouette came into view and the figure turned around.

"JADEY!" Cat screamed.

The next thing Jade knew the girl was flush against her, clinging for dear life.

"Cat," she acknowledged curtly as she wrapped an arm around her. Her tone was dry but the smile on her face and the tightness of her grip gave away her enthusiasm. They rocked back and forth for a few seconds before Cat noticed the boy standing next to them.

"Ah! You must be Tyler!" she squealed, releasing Jade and bouncing to face him.

"Correct," Jade affirmed. "Tyler, this is Cat."

"Hey Cat. Awesome to finally meet you," he greeted. Tyler opened his arms for a hug and Cat happily obliged. He figured she was that kind of person. "Love the hair," he complimented as she backed away.

Cat smiled brightly. "Thanks!" she said.

"Hi friends!" said Robbie as he approached the group.

"Aaand this is Robbie," Jade told Tyler. Robbie offered his fist which Tyler reluctantly pounded.

"He's my boyfriend," Cat announced. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he draped his over her shoulder.

"Gross," Jade mumbled. It was her duty to act disgusted, but in reality, she was happy for the two of them. Their relationship was a long time coming; they deserved to be with each other.

Tyler's eyes grew wide. "Oh, Robbie! Aren't you the guy with the pup-"

"We don't speak of it!" Robbie cried, his voice cracking toward the end. Confused, Tyler looked to Jade, who in turn, looked to Cat.

"I'll tell you later," she whisper-yelled with an exaggerated wink. Robbie's puppet Rex had remained an unwelcome member of their gang up until an unfortunate incident about a year ago that involved a locked car on a hot summer day and a lot of melted plastic. Robbie was still in mourning.

"Sorry we're late," Jade diverted. "Tyler here couldn't figure out what shoes wanted to wear," she explained dramatically, elbowing her boyfriend lightly in the side.

"Hey! I wanted to make a good impression," he excused. He chose not to bring up the fact that Jade herself had changed four times before he could get her out of the door. Maybe she would appreciate the gesture and thank him later.

Cat laughed. "It's fine! You're just in time to hear Tori and André sing!" she told them. _So that's what the stage is for_, Jade thought. It didn't come as a huge surprise. For as long as she could remember, Tori and André had taken any opportunity they had to perform publicly, regardless of who or what the event was for. What they say about old habits dying hard must have been true.

"Fun! Is there a bathroom anywhere I can run to before they get going?" Tyler asked.

"He has the bladder of a four-year old," Jade explained.

Robbie offered, "Sure is. I'll show you to it!"

"Thanks! Either of you lovely ladies want anything to drink while we're roaming about?" Tyler asked.

"I'm all good!" Cat smiled.

"No thanks," Jade replied.

He gave Jade a kiss on the cheek and followed Robbie to the boy's room. "Save me a seat," he instructed as he passed.

Cat moved to stand next to Jade and bumped shoulders with her playfully. She giggled, "He's nice."

"Yeah, he is," Jade smiled. So far the night was going well. Tyler was being amazing - she didn't think she would have been able to handle this party without him. His presence provided just enough security for her to feel comfortable and enough freedom to allow her to reconnect with everyone.

Lights hit the stage and Cat exclaimed, "Oh, they're about to start! Let's go!" She grabbed Jade's hand and pulled her to the small crowd that was situated as a make-shift audience. Tori and André emerged from the other side of the room and climbed on stage. Jade was overcome by déjà vu - how many times had she seen this before? André's trademark braids were gone, his hair shaved closed to his head, but otherwise the pair looked as if they could have walked out of Hollywood Arts yesterday. As André slung a guitar over his shoulder and fiddled with the amp beside him, Tori grabbed her mic and began to speak.

"Hey guys. This is a little song I wrote for a very special person. It's called "Only One" and it goes out to my amazing boyfriend, the birthday boy, Beck Oliver!" she introduced.

Jade shot a glance at Cat. "Boyfriend?" she whispered harshly.

Cat's eyes dropped to the floor and she smacked her lips together. "Did I forget to mention that?" she inquired, feigning innocence.

"Just a little," Jade spat back. The music began to pound through the PA speakers and their focus shifted back to the stage as Tori and André sang. Jade had to admit they sounded good. She thought they must have spent a lot of time preparing for this night; then again, they'd also had years of practicing that Jade hadn't been witness to.

Then, out of nowhere, Jade felt a hand on her shoulder and a familiar, "Hey," reached her ear. She jumped.

Turning around, Jade found herself face to face with Beck. His hair was longer than she was used to and there was a bit of stubble growing on his chin which in a former life she would have insisted he shave.

"Hey," she said automatically, taken aback. She took a beat to regain her composure but quickly congratulated, "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks," Beck smiled, tucking his hands in his pockets. He rocked back and forth on his feet as he looked her up and down. "It's good to see you, Jade," he stated.

No longer flustered, Jade grinned and took a step toward him. "It's good to see you, too," she answered. She held out her arms and Beck raised his eyebrows but walked into the hug without hesitation. Jade noticed that he had filled out a bit - his arms and chest weren't as scrawny as she had remembered. But he smelled the same, and her head still fit squarely in the crook of his neck, so the sensation of their embrace wasn't completely foreign.

They broke apart, and Jade asked, "So 21, huh? How'd that happen?"

Beck threw his hands up in defeat. "Beats me," he said. Tori and Andre's song was still echoing around them and Cat was way too into it to notice anything else going on.

"Feel any different?" Jade asked, falling back on standard birthday conversation protocol.

Beck thought for a moment then shrugged. "Older. Younger," he responded, "Like I've got my whole life ahead of me, but it's also all downhill from here." His answer was typical Beck: wise and insightful but spoken entirely casually, without pretense.

Jade shook her head with a smile. "You seem the same to me," she concluded.

"I ... don't know if that's a compliment or not," Beck stated.

"Neither do I," she teased. But it was a compliment. She was glad for it - glad she felt like she somehow still knew him. It was nice to think that although situations and circumstances changed, maybe on some level the people who lived them remained the same.

"How's New York?" he questioned. He hoped she was doing well.

"Big. Busy," she answered. Beck nodded. She supposed she could have told him about school, the theatre, her apartment, or her boyfriend, but none of that seemed to really matter at the moment. So instead, she asked, "How's LA? And the acting?"

"LA's great," he said. "Acting's alright. I've been in a rut ever since my show got cancelled. I'm getting kind of scared that role was a fluke," he admitted.

"It probably was," she agreed. A normal person might have told him that wasn't true and showered him with reassuring accolades about his talent and future, but Jade had come to accept that "normal" was a word that would probably never describe her.

Luckily, Beck wasn't fazed. "Nice to see you haven't changed either," he grinned.

"Someone's gotta be realistic," she reasoned, raising her shoulders. "Everything is a fluke in show business. But something else will come along. You just have to be patient and let it find you," she advised. Beck knew she was right, but he couldn't stop himself from chuckling at her words.

"What's so funny?" she demanded, her brow furrowed. For once she was actually giving some sound advice.

"_You_ just told _me_ to be patient," he explained, emphasizing the irony. He had always been the one to keep her calm; suddenly their roles had reversed. Maybe Jade had changed a little after all.

Getting the joke, she mused, "How the tables have turned."

Their conversation slowed and they both directed their attention back to the performance being given. As the next chorus came around, Beck leaned over to Jade and said, "I'm really glad you could come."

"Me too," she responded, realizing at that moment that she was in fact happy to be there. It wasn't scary or awkward or any of the things she had worried it would be. It was comfortable; it felt like home. _Just like old times._ "It's nice having everyone together again," she finished.

"Very nice," he agreed. The audience erupted with applause as the song ended and Beck and Jade joined them, hooting and hollering and clapping with decidedly over-the-top fervor.

From the stage, Tori's eyes found Cat, Beck, and Jade in the crowd and she smiled. She hopped off the platform and ran down to where they stood. "That was so great!" Cat bragged as she arrived.

Beck pecked Tori on the lips. "That was awesome, dear. Thank you," Beck told her. She blushed as she returned his thanks. Then her eyes settled on the girl beside him.

"Hey, Jade. Long time no see," she greeted happily.

"Sure has been," Jade responded. There was an air of inappropriately placed sarcasm lacing her voice.

A few people around them shifted and Tyler pushed his way into the little circle they had formed. "Hey!" he called. "I missed the beginning but I caught the big finish. Loved it," he said, directing his accolades to Tori.

Tori's gaze bounced around the group for some sort of explanation as she replied, "Thanks, um.."

"Oh, sorry," Jade stepped in. "This is my boyfriend, Tyler," she clarified.

Tori smiled. "Oh, hey! I'm Tori," she said.

"Beck," Beck introduced, holding out a hand. Tyler shook it firmly and two of them nodded in acknowledgement.

"Where's Robbie?" Cat wondered, and immediately everyone examined their surroundings to ensure he was nowhere around. She raised her eyebrows at Tyler, who he'd last been seen with.

"Oh," Tyler grimaced, "he had some... issues with his zipper. I think he's still in the bathroom." He shuffled awkwardly on the spot.

"Not again," Cat mumbled. She scurried off into the crowd to assist her boyfriend.

"Thanks for the invite," Tyler said, addressing Beck and Tori. "I've been dying to meet all you guys."

Tori's face lit up. "Aw, have you told him a lot about us?" she asked.

"Oh yeah!" Jade said with a wry smirk. "He just loved that video of you singing the national anthem, you know, the one where the dog dragged-"

"Yeah, I know the one," Tori interrupted quickly, clearly still embarrassed by the event. Of course that would be what Jade chose to tell him about.

Picking up on the tension, Tyler abruptly changed the subject. "The party is awesome. Did you plan it?" he asked.

Tori replied, "Yeah. Beck is always talking about going to New York, so I figured his 21st was the perfect time." She looked at Beck and smiled. "At first I was just going to plan a weekend for the two of us but I thought it might be more fun if everyone came," she declared.

"Well, you did good, Vega," Jade complimented.

Tori stared at Jade with an expression that resembled amazement. "Thanks Jade, that means a lot," she said, her voice heavy with sincerity.

Jade squinted. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked suspiciously.

"Sorry, it's just been such a long time," Tori explained. "You seem so... happy."

"Weird, isn't it?" Jade shot back. "I never thought you'd live to see the day," she smirked. Tori rolled her eyes but Jade could see a small smile forming in the corner of her lips, and she smiled too. It felt good to fall back into their old screwed up form of banter so naturally, like no time had gone by at all.

A hand fell on the small of Jade's back. "Well, well, well. Jade West," André said. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a tight squeeze which she happily reciprocated. After Cat and Beck, André was probably her closest friend in the group.

"Good to see you," she said, letting him go. "You sounded great."

"And you look great," he returned. Jade laughed; André was always a charmer.

She touched Tyler's arm. "André this is Tyler, Tyler this is André," she presented.

They both smiled and shook hands. "You were awesome up there," Tyler commended. With a laugh, he admitted, "Jade told me you were into music but I didn't know you were actually good."

Everyone laughed and André let out a flattered, "Well thanks, man."

"André does it all," Beck jumped in, proud of his friend. "Writing, singing, playing, producing," he told Tyler.

"Sick!" Tyler exclaimed. "I play a bit of guitar myself. I've got nothing on you though," he said to André.

André shook his head as if Tyler was being too nice. "Oh yeah? Come on, I'll show you my setup," he offered, waving his hand toward the stage.

Beck trailed off, "Oh man, you've gotta see his pedal board... He's got this delay that I..." as he and Tyler followed after André, leaving Tori and Jade alone.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Tori burst out, "Look, Jade, I hope this isn't awkward for you. The whole me and Beck thing." She sounded exasperated, as if she had been holding that in all night.

Jade threw her head back. "... There it is," she groaned. She had naïvely hoped they could manage to get through the evening without bringing up the elephant in the room. Of course Tori could never let it be that easy.

Tori stammered, "It's just that after you left we started hanging out more and one thing led to another and I just really hope you aren't mad at me or him or-"

Jade grabbed Tori's forearm, effectively shutting down her ramble. "Vega, stop," she insisted. "We're grown ups now. I'm happy. Beck's happy," she began, looking her in the eye. "And I'm a little less enthused about this part... but you're happy, right?" she asked.

Tori nodded uneasily. "Yeah. I'm happy. We're happy," she agreed.

"Okay. Then it's all good. Really," Jade assured, releasing her grip on the girl's arm. "Better you than Trina, anyway. How is the old hag?"

Tori laughed.


	6. Magic

**AN: ****Once again, I appreciate all of the responses I have gotten and I really hope everyone enjoys this chapter. **Feel free to address any questions you have regarding the story as I will gladly answer as much as I can (without spoiling anything, of course)! **Also, for the record, I don't have a beta so I'm sorry for any weird spelling/grammar. No matter how many times I proof-read, some errors inevitably get overlooked. Anyway, t**hanks for reading!

* * *

"Thanks for coming with me," Jade said. Tyler closed the door behind them and followed her inside. After throwing her purse on the counter, Jade made a beeline for the couch and removed her shoes. Her feet were killing her after hours on her feet at the party. They'd danced and drank and laughed and even managed to get through a few memorable rounds of karaoke before the hotel staff kicked them out of the event room.

It still felt like a dream or some sort of alternate universe. Jade hadn't experienced such camaraderie in so long that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to have real friends. The emotional high she was currently on left her craving their company more, eager for another fix.

Tyler leaned against the wall next to the TV. "Yeah, I had a good time. They're cool," he said, watching politely as Jade rid herself of the layers of jewelry decorating her body and placed them on the coffee table.

"Everyone loved you," she bragged. She couldn't believe how well they had gotten along. A part of her had been worried Tyler would feel like a third wheel but André and Beck ended up hanging out with him almost the entire time, which was a total relief. "I invited them over tomorrow. I thought maybe you could make dinner and we could play board games, you know, something a little more low-key," she suggested. She hated board games (what was she ever going to do with a bunch of pretend property and money?), but Cat loved them, and it was something they could all do together that didn't involve getting dressed up or going anywhere.

"I'll let you know," he answered, sounding tired. "I might have to work."

Jade nodded as she reached for the remote. She turned the TV on and flicked through a few different channels before exclaiming, "Ah yes! 'Darkness Falls; is on. I love this movie." She looked up at him with a huge grin plastered on her face. "It's about the tooth-fairy, which sounds lame, but she's evil, so it's awesome. Sit down, we're watching it," she instructed. She moved the pillow beside her and patted the cushion, signaling for him to join her.

Instead, Tyler ran a hand through his now messy blonde hair and informed, "Actually, I think I'm going to go home tonight."

Jade blinked up at him. "Are you sure? It's late. Just stay," she suggested, trying to disguise how much she dreaded the thought of him leaving. She hated being alone, but having roommates had proven pretty unsuccessful in the past - her eccentricities ran most people off within the first month. At some point she figured she and Tyler should make their living arrangements official, but for now there wasn't a point. It was understood that he would sleepover unless there were extenuating circumstances.

Tyler shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. Jade's eyes kept darting back to the TV; she was clearly interested in the movie but was trying her hardest not to ignore him. "I'll be fine," he assured her. "I have stuff I need to get done."

Jade bit the inside of her cheek, growing frustrated with his stubbornness. "You can do your laundry here," she offered, "I already told you it's not a problem." They'd had this discussion before: he had previously refused to wash his clothes at her place because he 'hated adding onto her utility bills by using up water and electricity.' She didn't understand because it wasn't like he was washing eight loads of laundry a day, or like she was paying the bills anyway. Her parents may not have been great at giving her affection but they never had a problem giving her money. Hoping her reminder had put an end to this crisis, she shifted on the couch to get comfortable and tried to remember what led up to the scene that was playing out onscreen.

Tyler, however, refused to comply. He was still standing in that same spot, awkwardly shifting his weight between his feet, looking like he didn't know what to do. "It's not the laundry. I just think I need to go back to my place," he said quickly. He walked toward the couch and bent over to kiss her on the head, an act that disturbed Jade greatly because it meant he was actually serious. Head-kisses were reserved for goodbyes.

She sat up immediately. "Is everything okay?" she asked, eyes dark with worry.

"I'm not feeling well," he reasoned, still hunched over the couch. Jade put the back of her hand to his forehead and felt to see if he had a temperature. He wasn't warm; he was clammy. Studying him intently, she recognized the color was drained from his face as well. He looked ill.

She picked up his hand and started rubbing circles into his palm. "Let me take care of you, I'll make soup and we can lay in bed..." she said softly. She felt terrible that she hadn't noticed he was sick.

"No, Jade," Tyler replied, his expression pained. He broke eye contact and turned his head away from her. "I just - I need some space."

"Oh," she said emphatically, dropping his hand, his statement punching her in the gut. So that's what this was. She hated fights (unless she instigated them), and she happened to have been in a really good mood which she was still hoping to salvage. So she huffed and asked, "Is there a way we can fast forward to the part where you tell me what I did?"

Tyler backed away from the couch, assuring, "Don't worry about it. I'm just going to go back to my place."

"Come on, Tyler. I'm sorry. Just tell me what I did, I'll fix it," she demanded, the edge of irritation in her voice steadily increasing with every second he refused to give in.

"Fine. I need you to need me back," he obliged. His voice was calm and his eyes were stoic, as if he were beyond the point of even feeling passionate about the issue. Jade's mouth went dry as she realized this was more than a 'you shouldn't have said that' kind of spat. She wasn't prepared for the internal conflict of being ticked off that he was starting an argument on one hand, and on the other, devastated that he actually felt that way.

"I do need you," she insisted,with all the sincerity she could muster, "I couldn't have gotten through tonight without you." It was true; she had planned on letting him know how grateful she was on her own accord, but now she didn't have the chance. Maybe she should have said something sooner. "You know I'm not the best at expressing my feelings," she reminded him. She wasn't, but he had to know that she tried.

"Well, you have to give me something, Jade," Tyler replied, walking back toward her. He began to pace as he let what he was feeling off his chest. "I'm grasping at straws. At some point you've got to just let me all the way in," he admitted. He switched directions and headed back toward the hallway.

At that, Jade stood up and mimicked his movement across the room. "What are you talking about?" she asked as he turned back around. "I have let you in. I don't understand where this-"

"No, you haven't," he cut her off. A sad laugh echoed after his words. "I thought you had... But we've been together a year and I just realized in all that time I had never even heard you laugh, " he said desperately, "not a real, good, honest laugh, anyway. I finally heard it tonight." Although he looked distraught and she knew he was upset, his revelation only further frustrated Jade.

"What? Are you seriously freaking out because of the way I laughed at a party?" she asked in disbelief, unable to fathom that was what he was upset about. She'd laughed exceptionally loud while tipsy with a bunch of old friends and somehow that meant she wasn't emotionally available?

Tyler held his head in his hands. "No!" he exclaimed, "I mean, _yes_, but Jade, it was like you were a different person," he continued. "Or maybe the same, but amplified. Louder. Meaner. Happier. Just... alive." She started to say something but he held his hand up in protest, concluding, "Watching you with your friends... that wasn't the Jade I know. That was the real Jade."

Jade jabbed herself in the chest with her thumb, stubbornly insisting, "_I_ am the real Jade."

"With them. Not with me," he argued, picking up where he left off on his route, passing through the kitchen.

Jade marched after him. "You're being ridiculous," she dismissed. Her patience was running thin and she teetered back to the "pissed off" side of her emotional spectrum.

"I'm being honest," he retorted. He grabbed his jacket off the chair by the dining table and kept walking toward the bathroom while he slipped it on.

"So am I!" she insisted, continuing to match his steps.

Tyler spun on his feet so quickly she almost ran into him. "Are you happy? With me?" he asked suddenly.

"Of course," Jade answered. She put her hand on his shoulders and stared at him intently, willing him to see it was true. "_I love you,_" she declared, wondering what it would take to get through to him.

Tyler shook his head, making no attempt to mask the tears that were welling up. "You keep saying it but I look in your eyes and it's gone."

Jade gaped at him incredulously. "What's gone, other than your sanity?" she snapped. She threw her arms out with an aggravated shrug.

As if it were the most obvious answer in the world, he whispered, "The magic."

"Jesus Christ," she muttered. Her eyes rolled involuntarily as she tried to figure out when exactly she stopped living her life and started living a C- romantic comedy.

"This isn't a joke, Jade," he said disapprovingly as he walked into the bathroom. "It's been gone for a while. I thought I'd just gotten used to it, since we spend so much time together..." he trailed off, "But I saw it again, watching you with them. It was there. And now it's gone."

"Tyler, you're acting like a crazy person. Laughs and magic eyes?" she scoffed. Everything he said was grating on her nerves not because it was true, but because she couldn't prove it was a lie. Was he right? Had she been just a shell all along?

Ignoring her remark, Tyler turned away and retrieved his toothbrush from the drawer. "I'm going home, Jade," he said flatly.

Jade scrambled to apologize, regretting the insensitivity of her prior comment. "I'm sorry, okay, I just haven't seen them in so long..." she excused, strategically placing herself in the doorway so he couldn't get out, "I was excited." Seeing her friends had made her happy, yes, but it wasn't as if she was miserable before that. Tyler made her happy, too.

"I know," he conceded, collecting his razor and aftershave. "You don't have to apologize, Jade." He stood in front of her and took a deep breath. "It's not your fault. I'm not mad. I just need to go," he said.

"Why are you doing this?" she demanded as he pushed past her into the hallway.

"Because I love you," he confessed.

"That's a stupid answer!" she yelled after him. The heat was rising in her body and she could her face start to flush.

"I love you," he repeated, strangely composed, and rotated so he could meet her eyes. "And I want you to be the best version of you that you can possibly be." Jade stood there dumbfounded as he finished, "I see now that it isn't with me."

"What - now you breaking up with me?" she said abruptly, her voice a confused mixture of hurt and haughty.

Tyler was still for a moment, as if deciding for himself the answer to that question. When the gravity of his silence registered with Jade she could have sworn the floor gave out beneath her and she was free-falling to the street below. Finally, he responded, "I think it's for the best, for both of us."

"Tyler..." she whimpered. That wasn't what he was supposed to say. He was supposed to say no, that he just needed some space and would call her tomorrow. She wasn't supposed to be right. This wasn't supposed to be real.

"I'm sorry, Jade," was all he could reply. Resuming his exit, he grabbed his keys off the counter and she ran after him wordlessly, her breath hitched in her throat with a sizable lump.

When he got to the door and reached for the handle, Jade broke, no longer able to choke down the sobs that had been building in her chest. She grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him away. "Please stop, you're killing me," she pleaded, crying, "I'll do anything."

But Tyler just stood there with eyes full of regret and said, "I'll come get the rest of my stuff in a couple of days."

* * *

**Are you surprised? I know it might have seemed out of the blue, but that was kind of the point - it's out of nowhere for Jade, too, which is why it's so terrible, especially since Tyler was such a nice guy. Anyway, let me know what you think! Do you think Tyler is gone for good or will he be back? What is Jade going to do now that she's alone? And how will the HA gang react to the news?**


	7. Paper Doll

**AN: Okay, so I had a really tough time with this chapter because I got sick & was bed ridden and totally lost motivation. So this is kind of just fluff, BUT I prevailed and at least finished it. Sorry if it's not up to par with the others. I should be back in good form from here on out, though. There will be some major changes & a lot of action happening next chapter, so get ready. :)**

* * *

"Come in."

The door creaked open and Tori, Beck, André, Cat, and Robbie filed into the apartment. The only light came from the television on the other side of the living room. Scraps of black construction paper were scattered all about and a string of paper dolls was carefully draped across the coffee table. On the couch straight ahead of them peaking up over a blanket was Jade. She stared lifelessly at the TV, a pair of scissors clutched loosely in her hands.

"I hope we aren't interrupting...whatever this is," Tori greeted, taking in the scene before her. The five friends descended deeper into the home and formed a casual semi-circle in front of their friend. Jade neglected to respond, continuing to stare blankly at the screen, so Tori kept on, "We tried to call."

"And text," Robbie added.

"But we couldn't get a hold of you," Tori finished. At the party last night Jade had given them her address and invited them over for dinner, but they hadn't heard from her since. They had spent the day out on the town completing all the obligatory tourist activities and they figured they might as well stop by and check on Jade before going back to their hotel. It was on the way, anyhow.

Jade only frowned. "Sorry, my phone died a couple of hours ago," she explained dreamily, never looking up.

"Oh, well we can go if you want -" André said, gesturing toward the door, and the rest of the gang shifted as if they were preparing to head that way. Jade didn't seem like she was in the mood for company. "We just wanted to check in."

"No, you're not interrupting," she finally answered. "I was just watching a movie. The Scissoring 4. Or maybe it's 5. I lost track," Jade said. Somehow the fates had aligned and the horror channel had decided to marathon her favorite scary movie series the day she got dumped. She'd seen them all before, of course, but at least this way she could still feel like she was doing something productive while she marinated in sorrow.

"How long have you been sitting here?" Robbie inquired. He shared a look with the others as they tried to surmise what exactly was going on. Jade was never the most happy-go-lucky person in the world, but this was nowhere near normal. She was downright catatonic. They moved back toward Jade and found various places to situate themself around the room: Cat next to Jade on the couch, Tori and Beck on the arms of the recliner, André on top of the coffee table, and Robbie standing awkwardly in the middle them all.

"Since breakfast," she said. She had cried herself to sleep after leaving Tyler a series of angry voice mails, then woken up, eaten a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and spent the rest of the day in front of the TV.

She'd only taken a little break when she'd had the sudden urge to cut something and made use of the construction paper left over from a project last semester.

"Breakfast? It's 7 pm," André pointed out, eyebrows raised.

"Guess I missed lunch," Jade murmured, unconcerned. Her fingers were absent-mindedly tracing the blade of the scissors, the cold touch of metal strangely comforting her. For a few minutes the room was silent except for the musical score of impending doom emanating from the TV speakers. In a climactic bang a character let out a blood curdling scream causing everyone other than Jade to jump.

"So... where's Tyler?" Cat asked, innocently attempting to take the focus away from the horrifying images flashing before them.

"We broke up," Jade answered, her voice cracking unexpectedly, although her eyes remained glued to the screen. Everyone froze under the weight of her sudden admission.

"Oh," they all seemed to say at once. No one knew quite how to react, unaware of the circumstances of the split and too terrified to ask. Jade began twirling the scissors more fervently around her digits, taken aback by the reality that speaking the words aloud had brought to her situation.

"You don't have to pretend to feel bad. I'm an emotionless gank, remember?" She stared hazily at the blades dancing across her skin.

Tori slipped down from her perch and moved toward her. "Jade, none of us think that about you," she insisted.

"Yeah, nobody thinks that," André reiterated. He reached to the couch and placed a hand on Jade's knee from over the blanket.

Cat carefully retrieved the scissors from Jade and placed them on the table. "We're your friends," she cooed, taking her now empty hand. "We care about you."

Jade smiled softly at Cat. "Well, thanks." She grabbed the remote and turned off the TV, and they all seemed somehow relieved by the gesture. But Jade couldn't pull herself out of the funk. She exhaled, "Listen, if you guys would rather go out than sit around with me, I totally understand. I'm probably not the most fun person to be around right now." She didn't want them to hang out with her out of pity. They only had a few nights left before they had to go back to LA.

Cat, Beck, Robbie, Tori, and André exchanged glances, reading each other's expressions and communicating with a silent, simultaneous group nod. "No," Tori declared, "we're staying." Before Jade could refute, they were shuffling around the room with new found purpose.

"Who's ready for some board games?" Cat asked, lifting up two bags overflowing with rectangular cardboard boxes. She brought them into the middle of the room and sat down on the floor.

"I'll make dinner," Beck offered, jumping up to his feet. He turned to Jade. "You still like spaghetti?"

* * *

"Are you ugly?" Jade asked. They were four rounds into Guess Who and so far she was the crowning champion.

Tori gave her a look. "Isn't that a little subjective?" she proposed. Most of the characters were pretty weird-looking - they were cartoons, after all - so she wasn't sure how she was supposed to differentiate whether this one in particular was attractive. Especially if she had to go by Jade's standards.

"It's a yes or no question, Tori," Jade huffed.

Tori shuddered a little but resigned. After examining her card for a moment, she concluded, "...Yes."

Jade pursed her lips. "Are you Eric?" she asked with a devilish grin.

Tori threw her hands up in protest. "How could you possibly know that?" she demanded. "You still have like 10 people left!" She gestured to Jade's board which had a sizable number of trays still up.

Jade shrugged. "I'm bored," she decided. The game was easy - she'd always had a knack for reading people - and Tori could barely be considered an opponent. She scooted over to where Robbie was working on a game of solitaire.

"What's new in LA, Shapiro?" she asked. She made sure not to give Robbie the impression she wanted to hear about his personal problems. She liked the kid well enough, but one could only tolerate so much of his ramblings.

Catching her drift, he asked "Did you hear they closed the Asphalt Café?"

"Really?" she questioned, surprised. She took the liberty of moving a 2 to it's ace. "That's stupid. I didn't hate that place." She always enjoyed sitting out at the picnic tables, eating burritos and breathing in the fresh air. It was a nice slice of freedom in an otherwise controlled environment.

"Yeah, my cousin is going to Hollywood Arts now and he said they're making everyone eat inside," he explained.

"It's like schools just try to come up with as many lame rules as possible to make it an even more miserable experience than it already is," she followed.

"Yeah, I'm so glad I'm not in school anymore," came Beck's voice from behind. He stood over Jade and Robbie with a triumphant smirk.

Jade rolled her eyes. "Not everyone had the fortune of being cast in a TV show right after graduation, Beck," she reminded. If she would have had the choice to go to school or get a job she loved and become mildly famous and rich she definitely would have picked the latter. She could only play the cards she had been dealt.

"Not everyone had the fortune of getting a scholarship to TISH, Jade," he threw back. He knew he was lucky for landing the role he did, but a part of him would always wonder how things would have turned out if he had taken the more stable, traditional route and gone to school instead. It would have been silly to turn down a job opportunity when his only other prospect was shelling out money for UCLA, but he still wondered - especially now that he wasn't working as much.

Unable to devise a proper comeback, Jade settled for shooting Beck an irritated glance, to which he grinned. "On that note, dinner is served," he announced.

Predictably, the boys were the first to rush to the kitchen. Robbie and André began serving themselves while the girls formed a line behind them. Beck was standing in the corner overseeing the rationing of his spaghetti.

"This looks delicious," Tori complimented. She picked up a plate and dished out a small serving of noodles and sauce.

André was carrying a heaping portion over to the kitchen table as he agreed, "Yeah, I never knew you could cook."

Beck shook his head. "Guys, chill, it's just pasta," he laughed bashfully. Spaghetti was nothing to brag about. He'd had plenty of practice making easy meals back in his RV days when he thought he was cool and grown-up. Now that he was actually grown-up, he stuck to take out and frozen dinners.

Cat finished serving herself and Jade moved up in the line. Before she got to the stove, Beck stepped in front of her. "Here, Jade," he said, "I made you a plate already."It was a risky gesture - she rarely cared to sacrifice her independence - but it was Beck's way of apologizing for her unfortunate romantic situation. He didn't know how to console her while she was going through a break-up because in the past he had always been the one she was breaking up with.

Jade accepted the plate tentatively, analyzing its contents. There was extra sauce on the noodles and a light sprinkling of parmesan cheese covering the top, just the way she liked it. She gave a small smile, meeting his eyes. "Thanks, Beck," she said quietly. He smiled back, relieved she had taken it well, and they joined the others at the table.

"You know what spaghetti always reminds me of?" André said after his first bite.

"... Italy?" Tori guessed. She slid her chair over to make room for Beck while Jade claimed the empty seat between Cat and André.

"I know! Spaghetti!" Cat laughed. Everyone cringed out of embarassment.

André shook his head. "The Diddly Bops," he revealed, taking another bite.

"Oh my god," Beck choked, "I totally forgot about that." Giggles and murmurs were heard around the table as reminisced over their short-lived careers as children's entertainers. Their sophomore year Sikowitz had asked them to perform at a kid's birthday party; unbeknownst to them, their song had been filmed and ended up becoming a viral sensation. It wouldn't have been so bad had they not been dressed up in giant food costumes, dancing around idiotically.

"I was the ice cream cone," Tori remembered, "André was the spaghetti..."

"Lost me a dang record deal," he added.

Cat clapped her hands together. "I was the healthy one! The broccoli!" she exclaimed.

Continuing the trend that was going around the table, Beck chimed in, "I was the hot dog."

"I was pizza." Robbie smiled fondly. When Jade failed to contribute, he prompted, "Jade, what were you again?"

Jade looked up with a scowl. "The damn Hamburger." She had never been thrilled with that particular turn of events.

Cat giggled extraneously, "That's right! You couldn't get your boobs in the costume!"

Beck smiled down at his food as André tried not to laugh. The bite of spaghetti Jade was in the process of swallowing formed a lump in her throat. "Neither could Trina," she whispered defiantly.

Tori's smile was wide as she concluded, "Guys, we totally could have been the next Wiggles."

Jade growled. "Thank God we nipped that in the bud," she muttered.

They all went back to their dinners, silently poking and prodding at the food before them. They each managed to consume a few mouthfuls before Robbie spoke up, "We were also almost reality TV stars." Once again the table buzzed with response

"Yeah, until Jade and Tori vandalized Festus' car," André remembered. Suddenly all accusatory eyes were on the two girls.

"Hey! That was not my idea!" Tori defended, glaring at Jade.

Jade gaped. "What? How was I supposed to know there would be more than one junkyard looking car in the parking lot?" she asked. For the first time all day, she felt like herself. It seemed the others picked up on it too, because everyone smiled.

Then, with a sigh, Cat lamented, "So many missed opportunities."

A montage of memories, miracles, heart breaks, and breakdowns flashed inside Beck's mind as he studied the faces around the table. After all this time, here they were. Laughing. Smiling. Together. He shook his head. "I think we turned out okay."


End file.
